The Fearful Institute

Out of it

Aleks's POV

I don't know what's going on with this place, but it's scaring the hell out of me. It's only been two days and this place is already showing that it's hiding something from all the students here. The nuns are acting differently around me now; it's whenever I'm with Eddie. I haven't seen him since he ran off to our room yesterday after lunch ended. I've been sitting outside the cafeteria doors ever since brunch started, which was a half an hour ago. What the hell is he up to? Well...not that I'm the kind of person that likes to bust into people's business, but it's him...it's Eddie.

I look left and right constantly waiting for a pair of neon colored Converse to pop into view, maybe even a super hero shirt. Nothing yet, just kids wearing all white that are talking about their invisible friends and how they're going to escape this place. Usually when they want to escape it's out of boredom, but at this point...I think it's out of fear. I wrap my arms around my legs and pull them to my chest, it's getting a bit cold out here, early fall is usually warmer, guess not this year. I feel like a real loner now, sitting alone in front of the lunch room waiting for someone that might not even really like me, maybe he was just making all of that up in the bathroom to screw with my mind.

I look to the left again and finally see a pair of blue Converse getting closer and closer to my plain back Converse; I look up and see Eddie staring down at me with an eyebrow raised in question. He has his blue beanie to match his blue shoes and white shirt and pants; no checkered belt today. He doesn't have is drawing pad either, he's for sure...showing a more different side of him, different behavior.

"Why are you sitting out here, aren't you cold?" Eddie asks and holds a hand out for me to grab, I take his hand and he pulls me up and we almost touch chests. But he backs away before anywhere else on our bodies can touch, I'm sad, but then I'm not.

"I was waiting for you; I figured that maybe we can hang out today as well." I say and wrap my arms around myself for warmth. Eddie nods his head and opens the door for me to walk inside and I take the kind offer. It's still the same bland people, the bland walls, the plain floor, and the disgusting food; cold mash potatoes and near to stale bread, not the most appetizing in the world.

"Thanks I guess, but you didn't have to...I would have found you somehow." Eddie manages a short and sudden smirk, but I keep a straight face...what's that supposed to mean? Before too long I show a smile and we get in line to maybe get some decent food, and If not...I guess we wait for dinner.

"You seem different all the sudden." Eddie says and I look at him confused and nervous; maybe anxiety is starting to kick in. I don't know why, or what triggered it, but it's sure as hell starting to go off. "W-what?" I ask and he raises another eyebrow with more questioning thoughts roaming through his mind.

"Is it me, I bet it is." Eddie says trying to hold the smirk that's fighting to grow across his face. But he defends his emotion and forces the smile to back down. "Oh come on, it is me." He says with a more forceful voice and he slides his hands in his front pockets of his jeans. Is he worried that I found out something he doesn't want me to know? If that's the case, should I leave...but I want to stay...what the hell am I saying?

"All the sudden you seem colder, more distant." He says and slides his hand in mine, I don't pull away...I let him take my hand.

"I'm just a little out of it right now." I choke out and he ignores eye contact with the other boy that has hidden tattoos.

"You're scared," Eddie whispers in my ear and tightens his grip around my hand. I shake my head and look around the cafeteria. Eddie pulls the two of us out of the lunch line and he drags me up to our room. Eddie shuts the door behind us and pushes me to his bed; forcing me to sit down.

"You should be scared, there are so many things wrong with this place Aleks, and it's what I'm trying to protect you from." Eddie explains in a low voice so that no one else can hear him.

The intercom turns on and echoes around the entire institute.

"Students, tonight we are doing a room check for any unwanted objects in the school, please participate and do not deny the search, thank you." I raise my eyebrows and glare at Eddie, what the hell is he protecting me from, can it...kill me? I rub my forehead and two security guards walk into our room with metal detectors and tan duffle bags.

Eddie mouths "don't worry."

I don't nod or anything, I keep my focus on the guards...I don't have anything. But Eddie might, everyone thinks so low of him and it's terrible. They throw our pillows on the floor and look under the mattresses, they rip the sheets off the pillows and beds, they check under the beds and between bars.

The check suit cases and in dressers, under the dressers, and in between the wall and dressers; there's still nothing. Eddie has a wicked smile on his face, like he's accomplished something that's part of a plan. Eddie is quite the odd person, the oddest young adult I have ever met. He shoots a look at me and takes a deep breath when one of the guards finds stolen flowers from the nun's house in one of his drawers. They look at him in disappointment, he shrugs like the action he did wasn't wrong.

"They were for someone special," he says with a plain voice, the voice has no emotion just like the blank expression on his somehow cold and dark face.